Do you give yourself a monthly beauty budget? Yearly?

Monday, June 13th, 2011

Do you give yourself a monthly beauty budget? Yearly? Prefer not to know?

I don’t give myself a monthly or yearly budget – I just keep an eye on what’s coming in and how much needs to go out for day-to-day things like groceries, rent, student loans, etc. I use my debit card about 95% of the time, so I only buy what I can afford. (The only time I use a credit card is like my Nordstrom card to get points, then I go home and immediately pay off the balance.)

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No monthly budget. I buy what is needed like hair products, body products etc. I really dont need to buy anymore face makeup for the rest of my life. I buy whatever I fancy, but I dont buy everything I see. Temptalia’s blog help me screen out stuff like that the daily blogs on bronzer or the multitude colors of Iglot. It’s easier not to be a compulsive or OCD buyer when one gets older so there is no need to budget.

haha, I try to stick to a ~$300/year budget, and then I buy more/less for the rest of the year depending on how much I’ve already spent previously. it’s hard because on average, it doesn’t work out to very much per month – but I’m a student, so I can’t afford to spend that much. I just tell myself that technically, I already have all the basics I need.

I don’t have a budget. I don’t have to pay any bills (phone, rent, insurance, etc.) either, so I’m pretty much free to spend the money I earn on whatever I want. It just depends on what I see I guess. Some months I’m in a more makeup-y mood, other months I’m not. I can’t overdraw my account and I don’t have a credit card, so I can never spend more than I have anyway.

No budget…thankfully i have the financial freedom to buy what i want. The hard part is sticking to buying what i need 😉 But i only buy after checking u’r reviews Christine, so for me its money well spent.

Nope i but i know to put things like utility’s,rent,grociers,my daughters clothes,formula,diapers before beauty products which after after all that i have quite a bit to put in my savings account for emergencys

Dued, I spent way too much around 2— in 6 months but all skin care and cosmetics are enough 1.5 years used for me. Cause, I use different items for summer and winter. Also Sephora, macys and nordstom r 5 mins from my apt. Too dangerous for me. Then I went back Taiwan last month, and bought tons of aisa’s lotions and cosmetics.

well…I do…kind of…last year when I was building my basics and stuff I was a little more permissive with myself, but since I started Uni and I don’t work, so my money is very limited, I put a limit on how many products I buy per limit of time and how much I can spend on them…it also helps that I rarely ever buy stuff online, and I usually buy things in atore with cash instead of cards (and usually the amount I have on my cards is very limited too anyway)

No, I don’t have a budget, but I’ve been writing down each month how much I spend on make up in the hope that it’ll shock me into spending less. Hasn’t really worked to be honest, although there are some month when I spend a lot less than others, but it’s mainly down to what collections come out when rather than me budgeting. Although this month I’m trying really hard not to spend much because we’re getting Fashion Flower as well as Semi-Precious next month and I know I’ll be spending A LOT! I am fortunate in that I don’t need to budget as my husband earns really well, and also I hardly spend money on clothers, shoes, bags, jewellery, etc., so I can – just about – justify my make up spending.

I really don’t want to know. The past few months I’ve been reigning myself in, just buying what I run out of, I really am trying to use up what I have before buying anything new. When new collections come out, I ask myself if I have something similar and I usually do so it’s easier to resist.

I live at home but have to pay for university, so what I do is I take 10% from each paycheck and use that for buying whatever. When I hear about a new limited edition line from a brand I like, I then put time and effort into looking at the sets before they are released and try to restrict myself to under 60$ if I have the cash at the time….

I no longer have a steady job, so I try to pace myself when I buy makeup. I am really good at managing my money and living on a budget. If I order from NARS, I tell myself that I have to wait a few weeks before I can order from Smashbox. I also check out blog sales and take advantage of free shipping whenever it’s offered. I rarely pay full price for makeup.

Nope. I have loose budgets for specific products that I only buy when I need (foundation, moisturizer etc), and I only buy the fun frivolous stuff when I can get a good deal. My mom works at Macy’s and gets 30-50% off of cosmetics at least once a year, or I buy things on sale in-store or on ACW. I found that this is the best way to control the spending, as it has been an issue for me, haha.

Not really. How much I spend on beauty a month usually depends on new collections coming out, or if I run out of all skincare and all hair products at the same time (this seems to happen a lot!). I try to stay below $1000 though.

I don´t separate a special budget for beauty products; I include money for shampoo, body lotion and things like that in my groceries but I don´t save a monthly amount for makeup. I should – it would help me to be more disciplined, especially when I don’t NEED any more makeup but I do WANT it…:)!

I’d say I spend like your description. I know how much needs to go for bills, groceries, and other expenses, and my leftover spending money can go to what I want. I have enough makeup for myself that I barely go through anything, so I don’t spend a whole lot anymore. However, if there is something new I want to try or when Christmas comes around at Sephora with all those palettes, I’m all over it!

I don’t, but I should. I’m actually on a no-buy right now because i have almost 4 filled MAC 15-shadow palettes, a bunch of other palettes with more shadows, and a ton of everything else. Everyone tells me I only have one face, but I couldn’t help it! I spent all my money so I am definitely on a no-buy until further notice (unless I run out of mascara, moisturizer, etc.).

I don’t really have one, but I definitely should, considering that my two-month-long splurge on all things makeup absolutely *killed* my savings account and added about $500 to my current credit card balance (This is because I just recently got into makeup, and went from having about 3 eyeshadows and 2 eyeliners to a full-on collection!). From now on, I’m going to limit myself to $200/month at the very most. But really, after purchasing so much in such a short period of time, I’m very happy with my collection and don’t plan on buying things other than a few things here and there.

I don’t have a budget. Makeup is supposed to be fun, so if I find something I want and I don’t have anything too similar at home I’ll buy it. IF I have the money that is. I don’t have a credit card and I refuse to get one. Makeup is not worth going into debt for, then it would be an obsession and not a fun hobby

unfortunately I have an incredibly tight beauty budget. it is only $30 a month. that does not include “necessities” though like cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, etc. the “beauty budget” that is $30 is for any “fun” item that is not necessary like a new lipstick, eyeliner, shadow, nail polish, perfume, etc.

I don’t have a mo budget for beauty. I have a budget for play things which I put beauty products in as I have more than enough I really don’t need more other than upkeep with cleansers, eyemake up remover – and otherwise routine skin care. I will hold way back on beauty items when I have gone over-board on buying same in a period of time – as well as if I have no space to put things and cannot find what I am looking for. I avoid on line shopping or visiting a Sephora if I should not be spending in those areas because it’s really hard to go into Sephora and not buy something…though I can do it now that the novelty has worn off that we have a Sephora (small one it is) close by…and I know I can look on line for reviews, same product cheaper and so on. I pay myself a salary for ‘extras’ in cash every 2 weeks – food out, beauty – all that has to come from that cash. When I am out – I am out and buy no more – most of the time I have extra cash left at the end of the 2 weeks. I will plan for a big purchase such as a Clarisonic when I bought mine – or a really high end eye cream that I have sampled and like.

Christine, thank you SO much for modeling fiscal responsibility to all the women (and men!) who read this blog! Too many young women are getting themselves into debt with credit cards – isn’t the average at least $2,000-$3,000 by the end of one’s college years? (And this doesn’t account for any student loans. Ugh.) I’m sure the Economics B.A. (and M.B.A. program you completed! :D) help you control your own money. 😉

Sometimes, when watching all of my favorite beauty gurus who do hauls, reviews, and shopping videos weekly – some of whom I suspect to be too young to legally work – I wonder if overspending and underbudgeting aren’t becoming societal norms for us. That’s…not good. When we take a trip to the cosmetics counter, we also need to sit ourselves down and watch us some Suze Orman.

I used to overspend on cosmetics like crazy. This year, I’ve reined it in. As a young college student, I have a parental cosigner with my credit card, and I fully allow her to keep it for me when I don’t need it (which is virtually always). I, too, use a debit card, and I ALWAYS ask for receipts and keep track of exact amounts.

My parents taught me good habits (any birthday/Christmas money was 50% savings, 50% spending). My parents always said never buy more than you can afford because who wants to pay 18% interest? and never cosign for anyone. Ironically, that second bit of advice didn’t resonate with me until a friend asked me to cosign on a loan so she could pay off some credit card debt (I said no).

Sometimes people tell me I’m missing out on points and cash back from using credit cards, but honestly, I like never having to worry about balances on credit cards!

$50 sephora order 3-4 times a year. I purchase the Urban Decay box of shadows when it comes out and that is all for eyeshadow. When I make an order I usually get the sephora box sets with around 10 samples for $40-$50 since they are a great value and I get a lot of new products. I have a good stockpile of stuff so I really don’t *need* anything.

No I don’t budget for beauty items because I don’t buy makeup every month. I’m the type of person to haul makeup and don’t make another makeup purchase for three months. That said when I buy I usually game plan by reading reviews and looking at pictures and really thinking it through that way I never spend more than I intend.

I have no seperate beauty budget – but its a great idea:) So far, I am allowing myself one-two special items a month, lets say, from a new collection or something I have on my wishlist for a while. I have a quite large collection already, so I only spend a lot when I travel or have a special occasion coming up.